Center for Engaged Learning & Teaching Ethics & International Film

Center for Engaged Learning & Teaching Faculty Development/Cross-Divisional Teaching Materials Ethics & International Film across the Curriculum Julie Levinson, Virginia Newhall Rademacher - Arts & Humanities Film Title: A Separation Country: Iran Director: Asghar Farhadi Year: 2011 Principal Characters: Simin (Leila Hatami), Nader (Peyman Moaadi), Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini), Razieh (Sareh Bayat), Nader’s father (Ali Asghar Shahbazi) Summary: A married couple is faced with a difficult decision – to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease. As they interact with other Iranians and with state institutions, their personal situation becomes increasingly complicated and their marriage becomes strained to the breaking point. Beyond being compelling story about individual lives, A Separation is a rich and resonant contemplation of personal ethics and social power. Discussion Questions How do personal problems intersect with social institutions? How do civil law, religious law, and individual conscience collide in the film? How is social class presented in the film? What tensions are revealed between those of different classes and education levels? How is power vested in individuals and institutions? To what extent do these characters have power to decide their own fate? In what ways is their power to determine their lives limited by state power? How is the philosophical distinction between individual free will and social determinism conveyed? The film is full of delicate negotiations between individuals. Life seems to be a serial transaction. Cite some of the points of negotiation. How are these worked out (or not)? Is it possible to be fair to everyone in these negotiations? With whom do our dramatic sympathies lie? Does this shift during the film? This teaching note was prepared by Professor Julie Levinson and Assistant Professor Virginia Newhall Rademacher, both in the Arts and Humanities division at Babson College. It is intended for the sole purpose of aiding instructors in the use of their Ethics in Film across the Curriculum teaching materials. It provides analysis and questions that are intended to present alternative approaches and suggestions to deepening students’ learning of business issues and energizing classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effectiver or inneffective handling of an administrative situation. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data, or illustation of effective or ineffective management. Copyright © 2013 Babson College. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of Babson College. Cross-Divisional Teaching Materials Ethics in Film across the Curriculum Film Title: A Separation Levinson, Rademacher A contrast is set up between the main adults in the film (who tend not to get along with one another) and the children (who bond in spite of their differences). What is the director implying with this contrast? Who is right? What does our answer to that question tell us about our own values? About those of the film’s director? There are several points in the film where characters do not act ethically but, instead, lie or manipulate to protect their own self-interest. Are these actions justified? How do we fell when even Termeh lies to protect her father? How is the legal system depicted in the film? To what extent is it dispassionate and fair-minded? Who is the moral center of the story? Can any character lay claim to the moral high ground? The film suggests that human equilibrium and well-being is very fragile and can change quickly. What, if anything, does it offer in terms of social stability and hope? Consider the camera set-up and duration of the first and last shots of the film. Why did the director choose to present the opening and closing action in this way? How does that choice position the audience vis-à-vis the characters? What does the last shot suggest about the future? Some ideas for classroom use: Have students choose one of the many negotiations that take place in the film. Analyze how each character jockeys for position and power in presenting his/her case. Then speculate how the negotiation might have been conducted more fairly and effectively. Students can role-play the characters and work to negotiate towards a more equitable outcome. Ask students about their own country’s social and legal institutions. To what extent are they benevolent and fair-minded? Ask for examples showing how does one’s social station enhances or limits social justice and legal rights. This film offers a rare glimpse behind the headlines into the daily lives of Iranians. What commonalities can students cite with these characters? In what ways does the film surprise us with its characterizations and depiction of quotidian existence in Tehran? Additional Resources: Interviews with the director: http://www.emanuellevy.com/interview/a-separation-interview-with-the-director- asghar-farhadi/ http://www.ifc.com/fix/2012/01/asghar-faradi-interview-a-separation http://www.avclub.com/articles/asghar-farhadi,67055/ http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/interview-asghar-farhadi-separation/ 2 .

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